Officials fear Missouri River will breach levee near Bartlett

Fremont County emergency management officials feared the Missouri River will breach the levee near Bartlett, Iowa, sometime Friday if water raised just a couple more inches.

Authorities went door to door Thursday night, suggesting residents west of Interstate 29 evacuate. They said Friday morning the recommendation to evacuate is heightened.

“We’d rather get people out now than wait until water is flowing across the levee, because once that starts, we can have a breach,” said Emergency Management Director Mike Crecelius. “If we have a breach, then that whole bottom (nearby) will be filled.”

If the levee is breached, officials recommended residents who live west of Bluff Road to evacuate.

Two Shenandoah area highways closed

Highway 59, north of Shenandoah at the East Nishnabotna River Bridge and Highway 2 between Shenandoah and Farragut have both been closed due to water over the roads.

Highway 34 is also closed because of flood waters on the road.

County Road J64 and US 275 near Hamburg is closed because of flooding. A detour is in operation.